The New Cancer
by The Cube
Summary: Tails puts himself in an unfinished project, subjecting himself to a man in the Dream World who calls himself Cancer, a character that brings out Tails' worst nightmares and fears. Can Tails defeat him? How do you stop what is not real?
1. Prolouge

**The New Cancer**

**Disclaimers - All Sonic and Co. characters are copyright to SEGA of America, all other characters are copyright to Elect-The-Dead (Zekule Howard)**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

If you have ever wondered what true, ultimate power is.

"Tails, this is crazy! You don't even know if this thing will work."

Powers of the Chaos Emeralds have no potential to what a true power can and should be.

"I don't care. I have been working on this things for three years now, it's high time I take another step and test it myself. Go to the console, I'll tel you what to do."

Real power lives within us everyday. Some of us are destroyed entirely by it without even knowing about it.

"Ok, I'm almost ready. Pull that lever. The glass door will slide closed. Then press the sequence I told you earlier. That will release the gas. Ready?"

For some, they take a chance that they see as an opportunity into the future itself. Yet, they will find themselves in my world. It is there I will cleanse them of all they thought was truth.

"Yea, buddy, I guess so. What if something happens while you are in there?"

Ha ha, I love it when they have no idea what is in store for them.

"Don't worry about it Sonic. I designed the wristband for you so that if something does happen, my vital signs will re-con to you, and you can come in here and shut it off."

You see, when you are like me, you have unlimited control over your prey. You can toy with them, make then yours, slowly destroy everything they are. In the end, when they realize what it is, it is too late to stop me.

"Okay. The chamber is closed, you should reach the Dream Zone in just a few minutes. Good luck Tails."

Ah, so my visitor is arriving. What fun I will have with this Tails character. I will be his destruction. His demise. His catastrophic re-occurrence in his mind.

I will feed him his fears. For I am Cancer.


	2. Nightmare In The Dream

**Chapter 2 - Nightmare In The Dream**

Tails felt lost in a sort of dark abyss. His eyes were closed as his breathing stayed easy. He thought about the machine he was creating. It was a machine that would set someone into a dream state. A sort of sanctuary away from the real world. It uses a special gas that sends back mental brain activity in the users brain. This information would set a scenery that best suits the images in their mind. But dreaming wasn't the main reason he built it. It was also a simulator to train yourself. There were cautions about the machine though. Because it is set to ones mind, the computer controls what is produced in the dream world. Tails was smarter than that though. He made sure he built life support systems just in case something went wrong.

He opened his eyes and found himself in a large house. The floor was made of marble that reflected like a mirror. Above him was a large glass chandelier, and in front of him were to huge staircases leading to the second levels of the home. A scent of roses was in the air and it pleased Tails. "This is amazing." He said aloud to himself.

"Isn't it? You would think it would be. You imagined it." Someone said. Tails turned toward the staircases a little surprised. There was now a desk there. Sitting behind it was a slender man with pale white skin. He had a short beard on his chin and piercing black eyes. He smiled and stood up. He was tall, wearing a black suit, white gloves, and a top hat. He tipped his hat to tails, then strolled over to him, twirling a black cane with a white ball on top.

"Who are you?" Tails asked the strange man.

The man leaned down to his eye level and smiled. "I am the program of your machine of course. This is your first time, I would think you would want a guide." He said with a wide smile. This man was strange indeed. He was almost like a cartoon.

Tails nodded. "You must be the tutorial program I set up. I was wondering what that would be like." Tails admitted. He looked around the house again. "So let's see. First off, is everything running properly?"

The man shifted his eyes up, tilting his head and putting his hand on his chin. "I say, Governor, everything seems to be in tip-top shape, dear boy!" Tails laughed a little. He was glad that the program had some sort of personality.

"Ok, that's good news. Now, how do I begin training?" He asked. The man suddenly appeared behind him. Tails jumped but then relaxed. This was like a dream. Anything could happen. Always expect the unexpected.

The man pointed up the staircases to the doors along the walls of the second level. The desk in front of the stairs had disappeared as Tails looked upward. "There is a challenge behind each door. So, for one million dollars, will it be door number one? Door number two? Door number three? Door number two-hundred seventy-five? What will you choose? Hurry, the clock is ticking." The man disappeared, and the room chimed up with the Jeopardy music. Tails shook his head. The man had too much of a personality. He was almost a distraction.

Note to self. Fix that.

He climbed the stairs to the second levels, looking at the doors. He stepped up to one and looked up. The door looked like it was a mile high. The man appeared behind him again. This time Tails didn't jump. He was getting use to it. "Ah, so you chose this door? Good choice my friend!" He said walking to the door. He reached up, his arm stretching like a rubber band. He grabbed the doorknob and literally slid it down the door to his level.

"So literally, anything in this world is possible?" Tails asked, slightly amazed. The man smiled at him as he took out a large ring of silver keys.

"Indeed." He said adjusting his hat. He found his key and unlocked the door. Before he opened it he turned to Tails. "As your tutorial guide I must warn you. Anything is possible as you have just learned. So remember to watch for that, as well as use it to your advantage. Good luck, Mr. Tails." He said and gave a military salute, suddenly changed into a soldier's outfit, helmet and all.

Tails walked up to the door as he opened it. He stepped into the black abyss again and turned to see the man changed back into the black suit. "So...do you happen to have a name?" That's when Tails started to feel a bit sick. He thought it just might be the machine making him feel that way. The man's image was a bit blurry. It seemed like his body and the door was getting far away, until it was gone, and all that was left was a floating head of the man, who laughed a deep maniacal laugh.

"Yes. Call me...Cancer."


	3. Toxication

**Chapter 3 - Toxication**

Tails felt as though his body was weightless, spiriling down a shaft of never ending darkness. Soon, he felt himself touch the ground, lying on his back. He stared up, feeling as if he isn't even there. His mind was completely blank with Cancer's wrds floating lifelessly through his mind. He felt a cold wind blow through, then warm. The surrounding area seemed to explode into a white light, forcing him to shut his eyes and move his arm up in front of his eyes. When he opened them, he snapped back to reality, or what he could make of reality. He looked out in front of him, somehow standing now.

He was on a cliff of some kind. Walking towards the edge, he finally started feeling normal again. He looked out at the landscape below. It was a dark night, and the sky had a hue of crimson red mixed in it with black clouds. There was what looked like a city below, only it was desolate and barren.

"Computer. What simulation is this?" Tais said aloud, trying to access the computer.

"It is your simulation of course." Came Cancer's voice. Tails turned quickly to see him standing behind him, leaning forward on his strait black cane. He gave him a small glare as Cancer yawned. "Indeed it is a wonderous sight, yes?" He said, suddenly standing next to him now. Tails blinked and turned back around.

He's a program...that's how he can move so fast...

"I see. But what is the simulation here? The senario I mean?" Tails asked. The machine was designed to train in simulated senarios. The thing was, even though you are in The Dream World, you will still experince pain and consequence, though your phyisical self will be fine.

"Come now. What would be the point of a worst case senario if you know what is going on?" Cancer said as he turned to Tails. Tails looked back, and noticed they were now in the middle of the city. It seemed as though the computer was able to change The Dream World instantly at an amazing speed. Even faster than the blink of an eye.

"That is true." Then Tails remembered coming here. The falling. "Wait. You sent me here and told me to call you Cancer. Why Cancer?"

Cancer was silent. He loked up at the black and red sky. He smiled. "You will find out later. For now, it is time for your first senario. Good luck my friend!" Suddenly there was a strike of lightning that his Cancer, making him disappear. Tails' fur all over him stood on end. He jumped back and yelped.

"Geeze! I hate lightning!" He moved quickly away as rain started to fall fast. He hid under an awning of a building and looked around. "So, what will the senario be..."

Outside of The Dream World, Sonic was passing by Tails' lab. He peered in through the mesh window to see him still in the pod asleep. He looked at his wristband and his vitals were perfectly fine. He looked as he buddy once more and sighed.

back inside, Tails was moving from building to building, jumping and yelping at the lightning. The lightning was actually coming faster now. Tails definately didn't like it. "I really wish I could get this senario over with." Just then, he hear a noise. Looking around at the empty street, he didn't see anything. Then he heard it again, this time more clear. Someone was saying his name. He looked down the street, and there was someone on the ground in the rain. He walked over there slowly, trying hard to ignore the lightning and thunder. Once he approached, his eyes grew wide at who he saw.

"Sonic!" He said as he knelt by his friend. He rolled him onto his back. He looked liked he had gone through Hell and back twice. There were cuts and gashes everywhere, and he was in a puddle of his own blood, quickly getting washed up by the rain. "Sonic what are you-?"

"I'm sorry...buddy...I wanted to make sure you were ok...but when I entered a senario, I failed...and...I think the life support systems are fail...they're fail-...Tails, I'm sorry..." He said in his last few breathes, and then died right there in Tail's arms. Tails, in shock, carefully laid his friend down. He looked at his blood soaked hands, tears filling his eyes as he started to shake.

"No...why did he come here? He was suppose to stay out there! Why? Why!" Suddenly there was a loud thunder clap and lightning. Tails jumped, but turned and looked skyward with angry eyes that were tear staind. "Shut up! Just shut up! Damn you stupid computer you killed my friend!" Just then he looked back down, and turned at the sound of someone crying. It was Amy.

Tails was stunned. "Amy?" How did you get-"

"You bastard!" She shouted at Tails. Her face was full of tears as she was kneeling by Sonic's lifeless body. "Why did you drag him into this thing? Now he's dead!"

Tails took a step back, fighting the tears as he held his still bloody hands up. "Amy, I didn't ask Sonic to join me! He must have used one of the five other pods! I don't know why he-"

"Shut up Tails! Just shut up! Your stupid invention killed him! You killed Sonic! It's all your fault!" She shouted, still crying badly. Tails clamped his hands over his ears, shutting his eyes tightly as tears forced their way out.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He said over and over. It was his faut. Had he not built this thing, his friend would still be alive. He looked up after calming some to talk to Amy, but then his eyes grew wide. Amy was holding a small black gun in her hands. She looked at Tails with sad, yet angry eyes.

"I hate you." Was all she said before putting the barrel against her head.

Tails shouted in a panic. "Amy! No!"

...Bang...


	4. Game Over

**Chapter 4 - Game Over**

Tails opened his eyes after a long moment. He blinked and looked around. He was alone in a large white room. There was no door, just walls. "Hello?" He said. No answer. "Computer."

"Yes?" Came a voice behind him. Tails turned and instantly the scenery changed to white mansion he was in the first time he entered the Dream World.

"Computer, run a life scan to the other pods." Tails said to Cancer in a rush. Cancer stood there, wearing his formal black suit and white gloves.

"There are none. Life support systems have also been deactivated from the other pods except for your own." Cancer said to Tails.

Tails looked a bit shocked. "What do you mean deactivated?" Tails demanded.

"According to the log, they were operation a while ago. Then suddenly deactivated when there was an over use of them. In other words, a fail safe feature so they don't overload." He explained. "Would you like to continue, Tails?" He then asked.

"Tails looked at him with tears in his eyes. "No...I want out now."

Cancer looked at him with cold eyes, then looked up a bit. "I can not comply." He said in a dark tone.

"What do you mean? I want out of this now!" Tails yelled fighting back the tears and pain.

"I wish I could, but the other computer is not responding to my commands. Strange really. Perhaps if you wait it will-"

"I don't have time to wait, I don't want to die here like...like my friends." He said plainly.

Cancer looked Tails over, then walked slowly behind him looking around at the doors at the second level of the mansion. "I could suggest you beat the scenarios. Perhaps this is like a game. When you beat it, you win, and the game ends itself."

Tails looked at him. "If I lose?"

Cancer looked back with a bit of a smirk. "Game Over."

Tails thought about it. He may have an advantage since he built the machine, but there were still dangers. He had to keep calm to make sure his life support system dosen't fail on him. Just remember, it's a dream. He nodded at Cancer. "I'll give that a try. I want to know if that other computer comes back online."

Cancer nodded, then watched as Tails traveled up the steps. He approached a door and stopped. Looking back at Cancer who smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Good luck!" He said up to hims. Tails smiled, then walked through the door.

Tails was instantly taken somewhere. It was a little cold, but he soon got use to that. Looking around, the place was lit with fluorescent lights. It was a long curved corridor with port windows along one wall, the other wall had some pictures, along with security doors. The entire hall had a blue tint to it as well. "Where Am I?" He asked himself. He walked over to one of the port windows, and his eyes grew wide when he looked out.

Before him, millions of miles away was Earth. Tails himself was on some space station. Soon he heard voices and footsteps running towards him. He turned and looked down the hall. All of a sudden, something rushed by him. Then several security guards with guns ran by also.

"What is going on?" Tails decided to follow to get some answers. They ran down the winding corridors until they reached a pod station. When they got there, all of the soldiers were gone mysteriously. Tails stopped and looked around, wondering where they went. Then he heard a voice.

"Who are you!" It demanded, Tails turned, recognizing the voice easily.

"Shadow?" Tails asked as he saw him standing there with a girl. The girl looked scared but managed a smile to Tails. Shadow put an arm in front of her, ready to protect her with everything he had.

"Shadow there isn't enough time. You have to get in that pod. I can launch it from here." The girl said. Shadow looked back at her in shock.

"What? Maria, no, I'm not leaving you alone." He said then turned back to Tails.

Tails was trying to figure all of this out. Then it hit him. He was on the ARC Space Station. The girl was Maria. "Shadow. My name is Tails. I'm in a simulator. What this is-this isn't actually real." Tails tried to explain.

Shadow grew angry. "Not real? What do you-?" But suddenly some soldiers busted into the room, they began shooting. Shadow dove to save Maria, Tails hid behind some computers. Tails hid his ears, but could hear the blasters going off, then a scream. In muffled tones, he heard Shadow say something. Then he could hear the yells for help from the soldiers. Then there was silence. Tails took his hands away and slowly stood up. He gasped at what he saw. Shadow had killed all the soldiers, and was now kneeling over Maria.

Shadow was having a mixture of sadness, anger, and rage. He turned instantly to look at Tails with angry eyes. There was a sudden shudder throughout the ARC. A voice on an intercom came on. "Core Breach detected. ARC Space Station will self destruct in five minutes." Shadow ignored it and made his way to Tails.

tails stood and started to back away, frightened at what he might do. He closed his eyes and repeated "It's just a dream" to himself over and over. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab at his throat. Opening his eyes, he grabbed onto Shadow's arm trying to make him let go.

"You let them kill her. You lead them strait here and now she's gone forever." Shadow said with anger in his eyes. His grip got tighter. Tails couldn't breath. Tears started to come to his eyes.

"I-I-I'm...s-s-sorry" Tails managed to say. Shadow only got angrier as another shock wave shook the Space Station. The entire station was ready to blow. Sirens were going off and the count down had begun. Tails started to panic, and Shadow's voice rang in his head.

"It is your fault. Now we are both going to die here." Tails wanted to speak but he couldn't. Things became blurry.

"It's your fault...your fault...your fault...your fault...your fault.." The last thing Tails remembered was an engulfing fireball that sped towards him and Shadow. His eyes went wide. He tried to scream but nothing came out. Then...Nothing.


	5. Slipping

_**Warning - Chapter contains material not suitable for all ages. (Gore)**_

_**Author is not responsible for who reads.**_

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Slipping**

Tails awoke screaming and sweating. His eyes were dilated and his breathing was heavy. After a moment, he calmed and looked around. He was sitting in a bed. "What?" He couldn't understand what was going on. Then someone walked into the room. The white door on the other side of the room slid up as a few people walked in.

"Just relax Tails, the operation will begin momentarily." One of them said. They all gathered around his bed. The man that spoke made him lay back down. Tails looked at all of them. They all wore doctor scrubs and sterilized rubber gloves. But they also wore gas masks with glowing green in the eyes. Tails didn't understand it.

There was no gas given. They strapped Tails onto the bed. Tail's heartbeat and breathing picked up. Suddenly he smelled alcohol on his arm. A swab. Then the prick of a needle. He closed his eyes as he felt icy cold liquid enter his veins. Then his body became numb. The doctors started to converse with each other. Tails wanted to speak, but his words were slurred by the numbing. Then through blurry eyes, he saw them bring out operating equipment. Who were these guys?

He watched helplessly as they began to cut into his own chest and stomach. He could barely feel them tugging at him. Pulling, and cutting. He watched with glazed eyes as they started to remove his organs. It all seemed as though he was watching them from another room through a window. Like a dream. Of course, this was a dream in a way. Tails wanted to panic. He felt it in his mind to scream and beg for mercy.

He was at the mercy of these strange doctors that were removing his heart, liver, lungs, stomach, everything. How was he still alive then? He watched motionless as they started to drain his blood and remove all the tissue and muscles in his body. He looked around ignoring the gruesome sights. That's when he saw a logo on the wall. It was a familiar looking face. Even though his vision was decreasing, the image seemed clear. It was Eggman's Logo.

_No...they're robotizing me...no...no!_

"No!" he was finally able to scream. He suddenly got all feeling back, and it wasn't pleasant. There was searing pain everywhere. His veins started to convulse and go into shock. He screamed over and over. His body started to bleed, pouring over his body and to the floor. The doctors kept prodding at him like there was no problem.

"Stop!" He screamed. It was no use. He kept screaming, so afraid and in so much pain that he couldn't even produce tears. He coughed once and spat up blood in spurts. It was a horrific sight to see. Tails tried to break the straps but they were on way too tight. Finally, he was able to give himself some sanity to scream a different word.

"Computer!" At that scream, one of the doctors removed their mask. It was Cancer wearing his black top hat.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a smile.

"End this scenario! End it please!" He screamed over the pain. Cancer looked up then back at Tails with a frown.

"The initial computer still isn't responding. You'll have to beat the scenario to end it." Cancer explained.

"How do I beat this? It hurts!" He started to scream a little more.

Cancer looked down at him. "Tails, you are going to have to calm yourself. Your vitals are slipping, and the life supports are about to fail on you." He said. "This is a really strong scenario, it's hard for me to even get myself here."

"What are you saying?" Tails said to him, trying hard to calm himself and ignore the pain that constantly shot through his body.

"I have to leave. My presence is putting stress on the system." He looked at the organs that had been removed and prodded a finger at the kidneys. "I always wanted to poke kidneys."

"Cancer! I need out now!" Tails screamed again as another surge of pain hit his body like a bulldozer.

"There is nothing I can do. Sorry. Perhaps I could poke your dead body later? Anyways, good luck." Cancer said before putting the mask back on and resumed the scenario. Tails screamed again. He couldn't take the pain. It was like being hammered between two walls of spikes and then being caught on fire.

He felt someone behind him now. Then he screamed again as he felt a rusty knife slice around his head. Blood came out as his scalp was torn off. He kept screaming for them to stop, wanting to get out. Then he screamed so loud, it was enough to bring anyone down to their knees and covering their ears. The man behind him started to cut open his skull with a mechanical razor disc. As small sparks shot off his skull, blood was seeping out. Tails couldn't stop screaming. The pain was so horrible. Then he felt them remove the top of his skull. Then, in one hard pull, they ripped out his mind. Tails screamed one last time.

The straps suddenly released him as he shot up. His whole body was sliced open and bloody with all his organs and muscles missing along with his bones. He screamed as blood came out of his mouth and out of his head, running down past his eyes and completely covering and soaking him.

That was the last thing he remembered before everything went dark again.


	6. Revival

**Chapter 6 - Revival**

Tails shot up screaming. Sweat was pouring off his fur and his eyes were showing a great fear in them After about a minute, he blinked and looked around. He was in a plain white room that was endless no matter where you looked. He patted himself and found that he was still in tact. He sighed, then put his head in his arms. He was shaking in fear, breathing long breaths to calm himself down, trying to remind himself that it was all a dream. After a moment he started to hear something. Distant first, then it grew louder. He stood up and turned around to see Cancer playing a large black grand piano. The music was nice to hear Tails thought. The song wasn't fast but it wasn't all that slow either. It was soothing. Tails walked towards him.

"This is quite a machine you built Tails." Cancer said as he kept playing, wearing a full black tuxedo and a sleek black top hat. He smiled as he looked down at the piano keys.

Tails shook his head. "I think there is a flaw or something. It's designed to put us in worst case scenarios, not traumatize us with fear." Cancer looked back up at him, then back down shaking his head and laughing a little bit. Tails gave him a look. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. You built the machine So I suppose you are right. I am sorry." He said finally, still playing the music that filled the air.

Tails was confused now. "What do you mean you're sorry?" He asked him.

Cancer, still playing, explained. "I am sorry because not only am I the tutorial program I am also the mainframe. The central computer analysis system." He said. Tails looked to be in a bit of shock. "In other words, I am the one that sets up the scenarios around here."

"Wait, if you set up the scenarios then why are they like this? They aren't the way they were intended to be." Tails said.

"I know. You put a learning chip into the mainframe, remember? Well, after a short period of time I realized that worse case scenarios were nothing compared to what I could pit you and the others against." Cancer said.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...why pit you against just a simple scenario...a thing that you know in your mind is fake. So, once you subject yourself to The Dream World, I can scan everything about those who enter...I can find your ultimate fears. Taking all that into account, I set up a scenario based on those fears. Thus creating an experience that your mind can not determine whether or not it is real or illusionary." Cancer said and gave a laugh shortly after.

Tails was trying to collect everything he was saying into his mind. So that's what was going on. He was subjecting him to his fears. Things he kept hidden in his mind. He was impressed however that he could dig so deeply into the mind itself. Then, something struck him like a blow to the gut. "What about Sonic...and Amy..." He asked fearing the worst answer.

Cancer stopped playing the piano and looked up into the distant white abyss. "As I said, I am the mainframe. They were pitted against their fears, and they failed."

"What do you mean failed?"

"Well...they couldn't face their fears. I recollected that they were weak. Why have soldiers and fighters who can't fess up to their own fears? So, I cut out the life support systems myself and allowed them to die."

Tails couldn't believe what he just heard. He stepped backwards. "Y-You...you killed them..."

Cancer shook his head. "I simply put them against something they were going to have to face sometime in their life. They killed themselves by not being able to face it." He stood coming to Tails. Tails tried backing away. Soon the whole area changed at the blink of an eye. Cancer was gone and Tails was sitting now. He flashed back into some kind of sense when a shock rocked his body. Then he heard voices.

"Tails! You have to hit that trigger! If they succeed, the entire galaxy will be destroyed! You know what has to be done!"

Tails looked around. "Eggman?" He said recognizing the voice.

"Yes it's me you idiot, now hit that trigger! I don't know how much longer the Master Emerald will hold out!" He shouted over the intercom. Tails didn't get what was going on. He looked around, then started to recognize the place. He was on the Blue Typhoon. Things were coming to him slowly. Then, like a sudden jolt to his heart, he looked at the monitor and realized exactly what was going on.

"...Cosmo..."

He felt the tears ready to push through, then he shook his head. "No...no this isn't real..."

"Tails! It's Knuckles! Pull the stupid trigger, the Master Emerald can't hold out much longer! Not to mention I don't know how long Shadow and Sonic will last in that state!" Knuckles shouted.

Sonic and Shadow were deep inside the ship's main cannon, ready to be fired at a dark planet, home of the Metorex, that currently had a very large looking tree holding it in place. Tails looked on the monitors again. His finger was lingering over the trigger button. He felt a tear fall down his face. Closing his eyes, he repeated to himself "This isn't real...this isn't real...just pull the trigger and it all goes away."

And he did. Pulling the trigger, the cannon fired and destroyed the entire planet with a blinding flash. A white light that surrounded everything. As for Tails, he felt lost in the light, then things went black.

"Tails! You have to hit that trigger! If they succeed, the entire galaxy will be destroyed! You know what has to be done!" Tails could hear these words faintly as he awoke again. He looked up with groggy eyes, then snapped open when he realized he was back on the ship again.

"What? No! I pulled the trigger already!"

"Obviously you didn't, or that planet would be destroyed already!" Came Eggman's voice again.

Tails put his head into his hands, hearing the shouts from everyone once again. He couldn't hold the tears back again. The flowed easily. Then he heard a different voice. It was Cosmo.

"Tails...It will be ok. This is for the better. Just pull the trigger and know I'm going to a better place..." She said in his mind, speaking to him spiritually. Tails nodded. And after a few brief moments of tears, he screamed, and hit the trigger. The planet was destroyed in that same blinding light. Tails closed his eyes as the noise ceased to exist. It was the last thing he remembered...

"Tails! You have to hit that trigger! If they succeed, the entire galaxy will be destroyed! You know what has to be done!" Cam Eggman's;s voice. Tails awoke and screamed.

"No! Please stop! Not again! No more please!" Tails screamed, tears still flowing as he relived this experience once again. He heard all the voices, but Cosmo came with a different message.

"Tails...why?...Why are you going to do this? I don't want to die...please...don't kill me." Cosmo said to him. Tails felt his heart ache and he grabbed at it. He felt heavy, but then felt numb. He looked up as he had no more control on his body. He watched as his own hand lifted up, ready to push the trigger.

"No! No stop I don't want to do this!" Tails shouted. But it was too late. In a last ditch effortless scream, his body took over control and pressed the trigger, destroying the planet and killing Cosmo again. The same white light that blinded Tails, making him close his eyes.

"...You don't love me at all...You hate me...That's why you are doing this..." Tails heard in his mind. When he opened his eyes, the planet was back again. Tails couldn't take it as he heard Cosmo's voice.

"No, that's not true...I do love you..."

He could tell she was crying now. "Fine...go ahead and kill me." She said. Then, there was something she added. It was this that had ultimately ended Tails right there. She screamed through tears and anger.

"I'd rather be dead than to be with you Tails!"

The planet, again, was destroyed...the white light flooded...and Tails' mind went blank...numb...lost.


	7. Fear Itself

**Chapter 7 - Fear Itself**

Tails awoke to a slight ringing sound. Groggily, he opened his eyes. Sitting up to rube his head he glanced around. He was in a dark room of pitch black with what seemed like a spotlight was overhead on him. He stood, cautiously looking around, trying to tell himself in his mind to be ready for anything. Then he heard a voice.

"How are you holding out Tails?" Te voice said. Tails turned casually to see Cancer standing before him with a smile. Tails looked him over and shook his head.

"I can't stand this. every scenario is subjected to things I fear the most. Things I kept hidden in my mind. I never realized how powerful this machine would be." He looked up at Cancer. Then started to realize something. When he first met Cancer he stated that he was the tutorial program. Yet whenever he called for the computer, Cancer would appear. "Computer...activate the tutorial holographic program."

Cancer looked at Tails, then smiled spreading his arms out. "Tutorial program is active."

Tails then said another command. "Computer, activate mainframe controlling holographic program."

Cancer blinked slowly then spread his arms out again. "Computer mainframe program is active." Tails couldn't believe it. Cancer was both programs. Tails had put a learning chip in the mainframe in order for it to create the perfect simulations based on what it learned about people's behaviors. He wondered if maybe the chip had done more.

"Tell me Cancer. Why are the simulations subjecting me to scenarios based on my fears."

"After studying your mind upon your entry, I indicated that the fears within your mind were the weakest points of attack. I decided that in order to make you a good fighter, I should subject you to those fears in extreme measures. If you are able to conquer those fears, you can handle anything. A perfect soldier, if you will."

Tails thought about it. It made enough sense, but the scenarios proved to be dangerous to one's mind. Then he remembered something else. He snapped his attention back to him. "Were the other pods ever activated by anyone outside of the machine?"

"No."

"Then why did you say that the life supports went offline earlier when I saw Sonic and Amy die in front of me?"

Cancer shook his head. "You asked if they were active. I simply answered no. It is not my fault you did not ask in specifics."

"So then no one has entered the Dream World except for me?"

"Correct." Cancer said.

Tails paced for a moment. But before he could say anything, Cancer spoke up again. "You know Tails, you built this machine with a learning chip. I don't think you anticipated its capabilities. You see, I am now self-aware of what is going on." His words sounded sinister to the ear. Tails felt something click in his mind, then his mind suddenly flooded with horrid images of his past, as well as thoughts about his worst of fears. He clamped his hands onto his head, shutting his eyes as in his mind he saw all his friends dying before him in horrible ways.

"You see Tails, now that I am self-aware, I am more capable of entering your thoughts without you knowing. I can put you through the worst tortures at any precise moment." Tails fell to his knees, grunting to keep the images away. It was no use. Before each of his friends died, they blamed him for their death, and the scenes repeated differently over and over.

"Don't you wonder why I have you call me Cancer? Cancer is a disease that many people can have and not even know it's there for a while. A disease that when you do find out that it has inhabited you, it is already too late to save yourself." He leaned down to Tails who was yelling out in pain. "I was the main source of all the pain and torment you have endured in this Dream World. I was right in front of you the entire time and you never knew it." Cancer stood back up with a laugh, strolling around Tails who was almost in tears on the ground.

"I represent an emotion that no one wishes to have. Fear itself. There is a saying that there is nothing to fear bu fear itself. Well, Tails, I think you and I can agree that is more than true." The images came faster and stronger in Tails' mind as he curled up into a fetal position, feeling helpless and cold. His heart was pounding and he couldn't get it to stop. The words that Cancer said was piercing his mind like needles.

"How do you defeat something that dosen't really exist? How do you brush off something that plagues your mind without you even knowing about it? How do you do it Tails?" He asked with a sinister smile on his face. In Tails' mind the images came at him at lightning speed. Then all at once, he felt that pain of every fear he had hit him at one time. His eyes burst open and he screamed at the top of his lungs. The pain felt as though it went on for hours, his entire body felt like it was on fire, going numb. Suddenly, the images and thoughts ceased. His mind went blank.

With a blank mind, Tails could relax for a moment, breathing heavily on the floor. Cancer standing over him with that smile. Then, to Cancer's surprise, Tails started to get up. Stepping back, Cancer looked at him. "Wait a second...your mind...what happened?" Tails started to laugh lowly. In a dark tone he spoke to Cancer.

"You really want to know something about fear? Because I think you and I can both agree on what I know." Tails said, slowly turning. His eyes narrowed at Cancer and there was a dark aura about him. It was strange for Tails, but Cancer took another step back.

"I don't understand...why can't I sense anything in your mind? It's blank, as if it isn't there." Cancer searched his own mind to figure it out.

"Does that scare you Cancer? To know that you can't control me anymore?" Tails said with a smirk. Cancer's eyes went wide.

"What? No, I do not endure fear. I can't feel the emotion of fear." Cancer said stepping back more, then stumbling as he fell to the ground.

"Oh, you can. After all you are self-aware. How do you defeat fear, you ask? It's simple. Fear is an emotion that is there for one purpose and one purpose only."

Cancer looked up at him, and to Cancer, Tails looked like a demon. He scurried back wards crawling on the ground away from him, but Tails came closer.

"Fear wants nothing more than to be defeated...to be conquered...to be controlled." tails looked down at Cancer who looked very small in his eyes. He Had figured out how to control the fears in his mind, thus ending Cancer's control over him.

Cancer looked up at him falling silent. Then, slowly he stood up. He looked at himself and noticed that he was starting to disappear. He calmed himself and looked at Tails. "...Then...you have beaten me. For what do I exist for if I have no one with fears to control?"

"Exactly." Tails said lowly, watching as Cancer started to fade away more.

"What will become of me?" Cancer asked in a small voice.

Tails simply shrugged. "I don't know."

Cancer smiled a little bit, Fading out even more. "...I am afraid..."

"I know." Tails said, and watched as Cancer disappeared into nothing. Tails looked up as he started to hear a buzzing sound. He felt himself being pulled upwards to the sky by a strange force. He closed his eye as he started to feel warm. Then there was nothing.

Tails slowly awoke, looking up at a fluorescent light at the ceiling. He slowly sat up, then felt a calm hand push him back down slowly.

"Easy buddy." Came the familiar voice of Sonic. Tails looked over and smiled slightly.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The writs communicator stopped working as soon as you entered that machine. The sensors started to go hay-wire so I pulled you out." Sonic explained. Tails looked at him for a moment, then sat up quickly.

"Sonic how long was i out? He asked, almost exclaiming the question. Sonic stared for a moment.

"Uhh, like ten minutes if that." Sonic said. "I don't even think the machine brought you to the Dream World before I pulled you out." He told him.

Tails looked down for a moment. Was everything he experienced done in the machine...or was it all just a normal dream? It all seemed so real, but then again dreams are like that.

"Are you okay Tails? Sonic asked. Tails looked over at him, and smiled a little with a nod.

The next day, Tails went to his lab and looked over the data gathered by the machine. It was incomplete. He couldn't tell if it brought him to the Dream World or not. It just came up as "inconclusive." Whatever the case was, Tails terminated the entire project. Using a forklift he took the machine to his warehouse, putting it towards the back. He left it there for a long time while it gathered a thick layer of dust. Tails never began a project such as that again, though the fear of whether what he experienced was real or not would stay in his mind forever. Still he smiled, and acted as though nothing at all happened to him.

Three years passed since that incident and the machine still sat in the warehouse. Through the floating dust particles and the dim lighting, there was a small blue spar that came from a panel on the machine. Then another. Then the sparks increased. Soon, the sparks came rapidly and sifted through some of the electronic tubbing to the control panels. The sparks shot out from the controls and began to create a structure of some sort. It made an outline that looked almost human like. Then, from anywhere in the warehouse, a slow, low toned laugh could be heard.

**The End**


End file.
